LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 10/2010

Bible Of the Day
Mark 8/22-26: "He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. 8:23 He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. 8:24 He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.” 8:25 Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. 8:26 He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”

Genocide against Nigerian Christians while the Free world is mute & indifferent
500 Christians Slain in Muslim Jihad Attack in Nigeria/ICC/March 09/10
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=11889&PHPSESSID=cc0ffdd1e5b1ebc49061a80f0da53073
500 Christians Slain in Muslim Jihad Attack in Nigeria
Most of the victims are women and children
Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that yesterday, Nigerian Muslims murdered 500 Christians in village of Dogo Nahawa, near the city of Jos. Most of the victims are women and children. The Muslims invaded the village yesterday at 2 AM local time and slaughtered the Christians with machetes. In some cases the Muslims wiped out entire members families. They also burned down the homes of several Christians. A local government official told ICC that around 380 Christians were buried in one mass burial space. He added that other victims were buried by their families and there are still bodies being collected. The official, who requested to remain anonymous, also said that police have arrested 93 people and recovered guns, knifes and other types of weapons from the suspects. “The genocide committed by Muslims against innocent women and children is another clear demonstration of Muslims brutality and intolerance of Christians in northern Nigeria. The Nigerian government must bring those responsible to account for this evil crime against humanity. The right to freedom of religion must not just be written in our Constitution but must be seen to be in practice. We are appealing to Christians all over the world through ICC and continual prayers for believers in Northern Nigeria,” said Reverend John Hayab. Reverend Hayab is the Secretary General of Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State. This latest anti Christian Jihad came on the heels of a conflict between Christians and Muslims in Jos in January of this year. During that conflict, over 300 people were killed. Over 13, 750 Christians have been killed by Muslims in northern Nigeria since the introduction of Sharia laws in 2001. ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, “We condemn in the strongest words this latest Jihad attack against Christians. It’s both unconscionable and extremely heinous for the Muslims to slaughter women and children in the middle of the night simply because of their religious belief. This is yet another example of danger of Islamic fundamentalism. The international community must assist the victims and their families. Nigerian officials must be held accountable for their failure in protecting Christians from Muslim aggression.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports 
The best defense/Mona Alami/March 09/10 
The Saudi Foreign Minister Explains the New Middle East/By Barry Rubin/March 09/10 
Fear Of Muslim Collective Punishment Grips Christian Villagers in Upper Egypt/AINA/March 09/10
Obama's Iran Policy Collapses to the Accompaniment Of Mockery Around The Globe/By Joel J. Sprayregen/March 09/10 

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 09/10 
Biden pledges full US commitment to Israel’s securityNow Lebanon
Syria wants civilian nuclear energy/Now Lebanon
National Dialogue Adjourned Barely 2 Hours after it Convened/Naharnet
Hariri, March 14: Defense Strategy Only Item for Discussion/Naharnet
3.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes off Sidon/Naharnet
Sayyed: Mirza Committed Flagrant Violation of Judicial Deal with Syria/Naharnet
Lebanese Judiciary Dismisses 'Improperly Issued' Syrian Summons/Naharnet
Jumblat Favors Gradual Solution to Resistance Issue/Naharnet
Sakr says national dialogue is to only discuss defense strategy/Now Lebanon
Army Arrests Killers of 70-Year-Old/Naharnet
Qassem Says Dialogue Won't Discuss 'Weapons' as They are Defense Strategy 'Outcome, Not Source'/Naharnet
Phalange Party Hopes Dialogue Would Lead to 'One Vision for Future of Security, Stability, Independence'/Naharnet
Jumblat Urges Media to Ensure Accuracy before Publishing Syria Visit News/Naharnet
Shami: Arab Initiative Strategic Framework for Mideast Peace/Naharnet
Berri: Defense Strategy Talks ... Lebanese Issue, Not Arabs/Naharnet
Gunmen Rob Jewelry Store in Ghaziyeh, Kill Owner/Naharnet
Otte from Grand Serail: Middle East Peace Talks Vital for Lebanon's Stability/Naharnet
Court returns Syrian warrants to Damascus/Daily Star
Lebanon's rival groups resume national dialogue/Washington Post
Lebanon Resumes 'National Dialogue,' But Hezbollah Refuses to Discuss Its Weapons/CNSNews.com
Iranian efforts to escalate friction keeps region tense/Jerusalem Post
US To Send Ambassador To Syria/Voice of America
Barak: Iran not existential threat on Israel/Ynetnews
Does foreign policy need religion?/The Guardian
Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East by David Hirst/Telegraph.co.uk
Israel, Syria announce nuclear energy ambitions/The Associated Press
Ankara: Stage set for renewal of Israel-Syria talks/Jerusalem Post
Lebanese women still face discrimination - study/Daily Star
Ethiopian crash compensation lawsuit continues as fault still under debate/Daily Star
Lebanon marks Women's Day with bid to promote participation in politics/Daily Star
Hassan mulls options to manage deficit/Daily Star
Jewelry shop owner shot dead in Sidon/Daily Star
Dreaming of an oasis in Beirut's concrete jungle/Daily Star

Biden pledges full US commitment to Israel’s security
March 9, 2010 /Now Lebanon/US Vice President Joe Biden pledged on Tuesday Washington's full commitment to Israel's security, while throwing his weight behind a renewal of Middle East peace talks after a 14-month hiatus. "The cornerstone of the relationship is our absolute, total and unvarnished commitment to Israel's security," Biden said after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. "Progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the US and Israel when it comes to Israel's security."Biden also said that the US administration is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and demanded that Tehran stop its support of "terrorist organizations," which he said threaten both Israel and the US. "[US] President [Barack] Obama and I strongly believe the best long-term guarantee for Israel's security is a comprehensive Middle East peace with the Palestinians, with the Syrians, with Lebanon and leading eventually to full and normalized relationships with the entire Arab world," Biden said. Biden also held talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres, who cautioned against premature expectations. -AFP/ NOW Lebanon

Achouri denies Bellemare-Mehlis meeting
March 9, 2010 /Now Lebanon/Spokesperson for the prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Radhia Achouri denied on Tuesday reports that STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare met with his predecessor, Detlev Mehlis. “Bellemare contacted Mehlis only once via e-mail after he decided to accept heading the investigations into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,” she added. In an interview with LBC television on Tuesday, Achouri said that the prosecutor’s office drafted the STL President Antonio Cassese’s first annual report, which was handed over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week. “The report details finalizing the process of collecting information and evidence that would enable Bellemare to issue an indictment.”Achouri said that the report discounted certain leads and unreliable information following an extensive review of the material gathered throughout the investigation. However, she added the discounted information will not be disclosed to preserve the secrecy of the probe. “We have a tentative scenario on Hariri’s assassination, and we are trying to verify the evidence so it could be legally accepted,” she said, voicing optimism on the tribunal’s work and progress. She added that it is impossible to set a deadline for issuing the indictment. -NOW Lebanon

Lebanon's defence strategy much ado about nothing: analysts
 09/03/2010  BEIRUT, March 9 (AFP)
Talks between Lebanon's rival political parties focused on Hezbollah's weapons have little chance of succeeding given the vested interest of key regional players like Iran and Syria, analysts say. "This dialogue is going nowhere," said Rafic Khoury, chief editor of the independent daily Al-Anwar, referring to national defence strategy talks that resumed on Tuesday at the presidential palace before being adjourned until March 15.
"Hezbollah, as well as Syria and Iran, clearly stated recently their strategy of resistance against Israel," he added.
The talks, which were launched in 2006, have repeatedly been adjourned because of the successive political crises that have shaken Lebanon.
The last round was held in June 2009.
The stated aim is for Lebanon's Western- and Saudi-backed majority and a coalition led by the Iranian- and Syrian-supported Shiite militant group to agree on a national defence strategy as concerns neighbouring enemy Israel.
But a major stumbling block to reaching agreement has been Hezbollah's weapons.
The group, which sparked a devastating war with Israel in 2006 and is considered a terrorist organisation by Washington, is the only faction in Lebanon that has refused to surrender its arsenal following the country's 1975-1990 civil war.
It argues that Lebanon's army is ill-equipped and as such its weapons are needed to defend the country against Israeli aggression.
The majority, however, argues that any decision concerning war or peace must be made by the state.
"You have two diametrically opposed views with one side arguing that the new national defence strategy must protect Hezbollah's arsenal and the other wanting to do away with it," Khoury told AFP.
"They're going around in circles and each camp is holding its ground," he added.
"It's like a debating club: you argue but no decision is ever taken."
Prior to the resumption of the talks on Tuesday, Hezbollah set the tone by saying its weapons were not open to discussion.
For its part, the majority argues that Hezbollah cannot be allowed to become a state within a state.
"No one is talking about disarming Hezbollah," said Ammar Houry, a majority MP. "We want to come up with a solution whereby Hezbollah's arsenal becomes part of an overall defence strategy overseen by the state."
However, analysts say the majority has little room to manoeuvre given that the issue extends far beyond Lebanon's border, with regional players Syria and Iran setting the agenda.
"This is a complex issue that carries regional ramifications," said Osama Safa, head of the Lebanese Centre for Policy studies. "Israel and Syria have a vested interest.
"Dialogue is positive but no one believes that this issue is going to be settled in seven or eight sessions or even a year."
The daily Al-Akhbar, close to Hezbollah, summed up the situation on Tuesday with a headline that read "National dialogue: the play," while An-Nahar daily, close to the majority, said no breakthrough was expected.
The 2006 war left much of south Lebanon in ruins and killed more than 1,200 people, mainly Lebanese civilians, as well as 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.
Israel says Hezbollah has since built up its arsenal, from 14,000 rockets at the outbreak of the 2006 war to 40,000 now.
Last month, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed to unleash the guerrilla group's military might on Israel's infrastructure, including Tel Aviv airport, should the Jewish state attack Lebanon.
Hezbollah has participated in government since 2005 and has two ministers in the 30-member unity cabinet.
©2010 AFP

The best defense
Mona Alami , March 9, 2010
Now Lebanon
“The Lebanese Resistance should be open to every Lebanese party and community and subordinate to the power of the Lebanese army,” said former Future Movement deputy Mustapha Allouch. “During the 2006 war and despite Hezbollah’s ‘autonomy’ from the official Lebanese government, the cost of the war was shared by the whole Lebanese population,” he said.
The question of forming a unified Lebanese defense strategy is at the center of Lebanese politics, more so as heated rhetoric has been exchanged between Lebanese, Syrian and Israeli leaders as of late. As Lebanese leaders gather for the national dialogue today, they will each bring their ideas of how to form the best national defense strategy to the table. But with such a controversial – and complicated – topic, will leaders from Lebanon’s different communities be able to hammer out a common strategy that singles out a main enemy?
The Kataeb movement supports the idea that one of the essential elements of the Lebanese defense strategy is popular unity around the concept of resistance. “Resistance movements if not widely popular can only strengthen at the expense of the state,” Sassine Sassine, advisor to the Kataeb party, told NOW. The Kataeb supports the Swiss total resistance model “in which every citizen is a member of the resistance and is trained according to his skills. He only joins the army in times of need and has a precise role within the military organization, defined by his specific skills. Citizens are submitted to an initial training, which they update every year. Weapons provided to members of this resistance movement remain in the hands of the army,” Sassine said. He emphasized that this model allows for all Lebanese factions to participate in resistance and does not weaken the existence of the state, which they depend on. “This is the ideal solution for a country like Lebanon, as it allows it to have an important temporary army for a relatively small population.”
Something similar to the Kataeb’s option was used in Lebanon before the civil war started in 1975. “About five battalions were organized according to this model,” defense specialist General Amin Hoteit told NOW. “Unfortunately the structure ended up defeating its purpose as it only attracted unemployed citizens, and further burdened the Lebanese army instead of beefing it up,” he said.
The Free Patriotic Movement also advocates a popular resistance that would be made up of ordinary Lebanese from across the country. “Guerilla warfare has proven to be very successful in the war against Israel; a regular Lebanese army fighting a conventional war is bound to lose against what is considered to be one of the most powerful regional armies,” said FPM MP Alain Aoun. Aoun’s party supports a classical reservist army model whereby citizens in each Lebanese village would be trained and prepared for a possible conflict. Reservists would be allowed to pursue their careers while training close to home and standing ready to serve. Reservists offer the advantage of a flexible, well-trained, complementary force that allows the army to achieve more with fewer resources, said Aoun. “This force can mobilize rapidly and skillfully at any moment to respond to a crisis or situation.”
While the reservist theory makes sense from a military perspective and is popular in many countries around the world, “it requires certain important clarifications,” Hoteit said, “such as who gets to choose the cadets and provide them with training and weapons. Who controls this resistance movement? Does it depend on the Lebanese army?” The main danger, according to Hoteit, is that the reservist forces could morph into a militia movement.
The Lebanese Forces take a more elemental approach to the defense strategy. “The defense of the country should be the right of every community and not the prerogative of one,” said LF official Imad Wakim. The right to make war and peace decisions should remain with the Lebanese government, though there should be active coordination between the resistance and the army, he said. “We agree for now that the structure of Hezbollah may remain the same and its secrecy be maintained. Any training should nonetheless be open to everyone, and the resistance should follow the political directives of the Lebanese government,” Wakim told NOW.
The defense strategy advocated by the LF includes the existence of a secret army battalion made up of covert units that are trained to make quick, secret raids against certain targets and perform clandestine acts of war.
For the LF model to be successful there would need to be the creation of a special ministerial post in charge of overseeing the special army force that would be supported by a higher defense council, Hoteit said, adding that coordination would need to take place not only on a security level, but also on a political one. “The resistance is by nature defensive. It thus does not have the choice of war, contrary to the LF argument. Thus an agreement should be reached around the political idea of resistance,” he said.
Whatever plan Lebanese leaders favor, any coherent defense strategy requires popular consensus and must address some essential questions. “Who is the enemy? How do we deal with this enemy; do we opt for a defensive or offensive approach?” Hoteit said. “How much of a threat does the enemy represent and what is the nature of this threat? What is our military capacity and potential? How do we train to better face him?” And perhaps this is the biggest challenge facing Lebanon’s different factions; disagreement on who poses the greatest threat to the country and who is public enemy number one – Lebanon’s belligerent southern neighbor or the former occupier next door and its increasingly powerful Iranian partners.
**Mona Alami is a regular contributor to NOW

Sami Gemayel
March 9, 2010
On March 7, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
The Lebanese Kataeb Party branch in Jbeil hosted its annual dinner at Ocean Blue complex in the presence of the general coordinator of the party’s Central Committee, Deputy Sami Gemayel, and the general coordinator of the March 14 forces, former Deputy Fares Soueid... Deputy Gemayel delivered a speech which he inaugurated by saluting President of the Republic General Michel Suleiman and former Deputy Fares Soueid, before he added: “The Kataeb has adopted the choice of building our dream country for which thousands were martyred, including Pierre Gemayel, Antoine Ghanem and all the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance. This choice leaves no room for the postponement of the problems which emerge from time to time, are unfortunately put on the shelf and then reemerge to explode in the face of the Lebanese people every five or ten years because we dare not face them. We are postponing the problems so that they are handled by the next generations. However, what we want to do is to put our finger on the wound, open all the dossiers and find the necessary solutions.”
He pointed out in this context that the problem of the Palestinian armed presence in Lebanon went back to 1969 and that this problem was put on the shelf several times, saying: “With the Cairo accord in 1969, we considered that this problem had been resolved, but the issue erupted again in 1975. Following the end of the two-year war and our victory over the Palestine Liberation Organization through our military struggle, we also thought that this issue was over, but with each of the stages of the Lebanese war, the camps issue returned to the forefront of events. In 1990, we believed that the Taif agreement ended the war and resolved all the problems. However, were the Palestinian arms in the camps removed? Certainly not, and the issue was placed on the shelf yet again. Incidents thus began erupting in the Ain al-Hilweh camp among other camps until the situation exploded in Nahr al-Bared two years ago. This time as well, the battle ended and we placed the dossier on the shelf. I started with the problem of the Palestinian arms to give an example of the repercussions of the postponement of the different dossiers on the table.”
Deputy Gemayel then moved to the issue of Hezbollah and asked: “Is the problem of Hezbollah’s arms in Lebanon similar to that of the 40-year old Palestinian arms? Do we have to wait forty years and remember every now and then that Hezbollah has arms? If there is a dialogue session every three months, we will be talking about Hezbollah's arms forty years from now and if the government continues to recognize and legitimize these arms, they will remain after forty years. The Kataeb Party opposed the article related to Hezbollah’s arms in the ministerial statement and raised the issue before the constitutional council because it is completely aware of the fact that we cannot make any compromises over a problem that is preventing Lebanon from enjoying a real state and on all levels. Therefore, the Kataeb Party has demanded, is demanding and will continue to demand that this issue not be placed on the shelf. We do not want to talk about a defense strategy around the dialogue table, but rather about Hezbollah’s arms, and there is a difference between the two because the defense strategy is drawn up by an institution which we respect, cherish and salute, i.e. the institution of the Lebanese army whose generals deserve to give their opinion in this regard.
“The parties gathered around the dialogue table are politicians and not defense strategy experts. We are heading to the dialogue table to look into issues extending beyond the defense strategy, since we will be discussing Lebanon’s role and position in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Will Lebanon remain the only country opening a front with Israel? If this is the case, we are facing a problem. Lebanon’s tragedies emerged in 1969 when the Southern front was opened by the Palestinian arms at the time and these tragedies continued via the front which remains open until this day but by another team, i.e. Hezbollah. We do not want Lebanon to surrender to Israel, but rather to restore its rights through its diplomacy, state and army to liberate the remaining Lebanese territories and prevent the Israeli violations of its waters and airspace. We want to return to the truce agreement to put an end to the tragedies and allow four and a half million Lebanese citizens to live comfortably, build a flourishing economy and a strong and capable community. We no longer want to live like that and the time has come for the Southerners to enjoy stability. The time has come for us to see international companies investing in Lebanon without being scared of the arms which could wage a battle against Israel or any other and cause civil war in the country. This fear over the future must end, while the country must remain open to the entire world and must remain the country of peace and the place of convergence of civilizations.”
Deputy Gemayel then addressed Hezbollah and its command saying: “We are listening to you in parliament, in media outlets and on all occasions. We consider you to be Lebanese just like us and want to build this country together based on the prevalence of the Lebanese constitution and law over all the Lebanese. We were criticized when we recognized your martyrs, at a time when you did not recognize ours. We thus tell you that the country and the life you are heralding are rejected. The life of devastation, open war and a balance of terror through exchanged destruction by saying if they destroy one of our buildings we will destroy ten of theirs [is rejected]. Each of us is entitled to have his opinion but not to impose it on the other. There is only one institution allowed to speak in the name of the Lebanese people and adopt all the decisions of the Lebanese state and it is the Lebanese Parliament. This body is the only one allowed to make all these decisions. Therefore, enough threats and arrogance because they do not scare us. We are first class citizens just like any other citizen carrying a Lebanese passport, even if this citizen were to enjoy another nationality since the latter has become a possible agent.”

Lebanon's defence strategy meets dead end
Published 2010-03-09
Middle East On Line/Analysts: talks between Lebanon's rival political parties focused on arms not to succeed.
BEIRUT - Talks between Lebanon's rival political parties focused on Hezbollah's weapons have little chance of succeeding, analysts say.
"This dialogue is going nowhere," said Rafic Khoury, chief editor of the independent daily Al-Anwar, referring to national defence strategy talks that resumed on Tuesday at the presidential palace.
"Hezbollah, as well as Syria and Iran, clearly stated recently their strategy of resistance against Israel," he added.
The national defence strategy talks, which were launched in 2006, have repeatedly been adjourned because of the successive political crises that have shaken Lebanon.
The last round was held in June of last year.
The stated aim is for Lebanon's Hariri bloc and a coalition led by the Shiite group to agree on a national defence strategy as concerns neighbouring Israel, considered an enemy state.
Hezbollah is the only faction in Lebanon that has refused to surrender its arsenal following the country's 1975-1990 civil war.
It argues that Lebanon's army is ill-equipped and as such its weapons are needed to defend the country against Israeli aggression and occupation of the Lebanese Shabaa Farms.
The Hariri bloc, however, argues that any decision concerning war or peace must be made by the state.
"You have two diametrically opposed views with one side arguing that the new national defence strategy must protect Hezbollah's arsenal and the other wanting to do away with it," Khoury said.
"They're going around in circles and each camp is holding its ground," he added.
"It's like a debating club: you argue but no decision is ever taken."
Prior to the resumption of the talks on Tuesday, Hezbollah set the tone saying that its weapons were not open to discussion.
"We are not going to the negotiating table to discuss the weapons of the resistance or even the raison d'etre of the resistance," Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said.
The Hariri bloc for its part argues that Hezbollah cannot be allowed to become a state within a state.
"No one is talking about disarming Hezbollah," said Ammar Houry, a pro- Hariri bloc MP. "We want to come up with a solution whereby Hezbollah's arsenal becomes part of an overall defence strategy overseen by the state."
"This is a complex issue that carries regional ramifications," said Osama Safa, head of the Lebanese Centre for Policy studies. "Israel and Syria have a vested interest.
"Dialogue is positive but no one believes that this issue is going to be settled in seven or eight sessions or even a year."
The daily Al-Akhbar, close to Hezbollah, summed up the situation Tuesday with a headline that read "National dialogue: the play," while An-Nahar daily, close to the Hariri bloc, said no breakthrough was expected.
"Circumstances inside and outside Lebanon point to low expectations and no one should expect results anytime soon," it said in an editorial. "That's why these talks are taking place with no illusion on anyone's part."
Hezbollah has participated in government since 2005 and has two ministers in the 30-member unity cabinet.
The winning alliance headed by Saad Hariri won 71 seats in the 128-member parliament in the election against 57 for the opposition led by Hezbollah.
The Hezbollah opposition had actually secured the majority (52%) of the votes in Lebanon, but could not secure a majority of Parliamentary seats (it won 45%) because of the nature of the sectarian government system in the country.
Israel waged a bloody 34-day war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 after Hezbollah fighters seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid that aimed to free Lebanese soldiers from Israeli prisons. The bodies of the soldiers were returned in a prisoner swap.
The war claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.
Hezbollah, originally a resistance group formed to counter an Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, had forced the Israeli military out of Lebanon in 2000. Israel, however, continues to occupy the Lebanese Shabaa Farms.
Israeli flights over Lebanon occur on an almost daily basis and are in breach of UN Security Council resolution 1710, which in August 2006 ended the war.


Hariri, March 14: Defense Strategy Only Item for Discussion
Naharnet/A four-way late Monday meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri, former PM Fouad Saniora, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea has led to agreement that the defense strategy is the only item for discussion. The four leaders, according to the daily Al-Liwaa on Tuesday, also agreed to raise the issue of Arab League involvement in dialogue sessions on the basis that the defense strategy is both a Lebanese and Arab responsibility. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 10:05

Jumblat Favors Gradual Solution to Resistance Issue
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat called for a "gradual solution" to the issue of the resistance that would lead to the eventual integration of Hizbullah fighters into the Lebanese army.
"This issue, however, should be discussed under appropriate conditions for the resistance politically and militarily," Jumblat said in remarks published Tuesday by the daily As-Safir.
He said this issue should also not be up for discussion before the Lebanese army's defense capabilities were strengthened. Jumblat said the defense system should include anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles as well as anti-armor and ground defense weapons. He stressed the need to deal with the issue of the defense strategy in a "comprehensive manner and in accordance with the prevailing conditions, and not from the standpoint of the resistance's arms." Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 11:09

Berri: Defense Strategy Talks ... Lebanese Issue, Not Arabs
Naharnet/National talks resume Tuesday amid tension between the majority March 14 coalition and the Hizbullah-led Opposition over the dialogue agenda with Speaker Nabih Berri warning against fishing for Arab support. "Lebanon can seek Arab help in everything except the defense strategy issue and the President is aware of that," Berri said in remarks published Monday by the daily As-Safir. Berri warned "those" calling for Arab League involvement in dialogue sessions against fishing for Arab support. "Those who are pushing for Arab League participation are weaving a conspiracy against Arabs and want to get them to do something they don't want to do," Berri thought. Meanwhile, Al-Akhbar newspaper said the Speaker will present a request to include "economic security" on the dialogue agenda. Beirut, 08 Mar 10, 07:52

Qassem Says Dialogue Won't Discuss 'Weapons' as They are Defense Strategy 'Outcome, Not Source'
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Monday noted that "there is no discussion topic at the dialogue table dubbed 'weapons,' because those weapons are the outcome of the defense strategy and not its source." "Furthermore, there is no attempt at the dialogue table to undermine the strength of Lebanon, but to discuss the defense strategy," Qassem added at a ceremony to commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohammed in Beirut Southern Suburbs.
Qassem said that "Lebanon's strength" may require coordination and means "to enhance the capabilities of the Mujahedeen of the resistance and the army … to reach a real defense capacity that frightens Israel and obliges it to know its limits.""How would the situation in Lebanon be without the resistance? Without the resistance, the South and the Western Bekaa would not have been liberated and Israeli would not have been defeated in 2006. Without the resistance, we would have reached naturalization (of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon), and Lebanon would have been a playground for foreign secret services.""The resistance was able to immunize the Lebanese interior. Today, tourism is doing well, the security situation is stable, and political stability is available," Qassem added. On the other hand, Qassem noted that "some are fabricating a problem called municipal elections," wondering "why we would approach elections according to the winner and loser formula while municipalities aim at serving people's developmental needs.""We have to compete in serving them, not in taking advantage of them to serve the positions of our parties." Beirut, 08 Mar 10, 20:55

Phalange Party Hopes Dialogue Would Lead to 'One Vision for Future of Security, Stability, Independence'
Naharnet/Phalange Party politburo on Monday "decided to participate in dialogue despite knowing in advance the obstacles facing the third round of dialogue.""Phalange Party is determined to give dialogue sessions all support in order to enhance the position of the presidency and to stress its principle of endorsing dialogue instead of weapons, hoping the dialogue committee would reach one vision for the future of security, stability and independence in Lebanon," a statement issued after the weekly meeting of Phalange's politburo said. The politburo called on all parties for honest and practical response to President Michel Suleiman's initiative in dealing with the raised topics "topped by the fate of Hizbullah's arms."
The conferees called for approaching Hizbullah's arms "through the scheme of building the State and not through a perspective that considers (arms) as an inevitable reality."
"The issue of the defense strategy, which is the main topic of the dialogue session, implies the agreement of the negotiators on defining the role of Lebanon toward itself, in the first place, and toward the turbulent conflicts in the Middle East," the statement added. "Lebanon's role defines the defense strategy and not the opposite, as it is the case today."
On the other hand, the politburo welcomed the visits of each of Suleiman and PM Saad Hariri to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and hailed "the brotherly support offered by the officials of these two countries for the Lebanese State and the course of national consensus." Beirut, 08 Mar 10, 19:45

3.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes off Sidon
Naharnet/A 3.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the southern port city of Sidon at dawn Tuesday, Bhannes Center for Seismic and Scientific Research said. The earthquake hit an area 50 kilometres off Sidon at 2:50 am, the center said. Residents of coastal areas in the south felt the quake, it added. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 12:22

Lebanese Judiciary Dismisses 'Improperly Issued' Syrian Summons
Naharnet/Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza has returned orders of summons issued by the Syrian judiciary three months ago over a lawsuit filed against a number of Lebanese political and security officials by former head of Lebanon's General Security Jamil Sayyed accusing them of slander and depriving him of his freedom. Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat quoted judicial sources as saying that the orders of summons were dismissed "because they were improperly issued."They said the summonses were not issued in accordance with legal norms.
Al-Hayat said Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar has referred the summonses to the public prosecution, but added that Mirza decided to return them, citing lack of legality on the grounds that the alleged crimes took place on Lebanese territory. Also, according to Mirza, those summoned for interrogation in Sayyed's case are Lebanese as well. The sources said the summonses were also dismissed for failure to respect the immunity these officials enjoy. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 07:48

Sayyed: Mirza Committed Flagrant Violation of Judicial Deal with Syria
Naharnet/Former head of the General Security Department Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed on Tuesday said Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza has committed a "flagrant violation" of a judicial deal signed between Lebanon and Syria. Sayyed was responding to a press report that said Mirza has returned orders of summons by the Syrian judiciary three months ago over a lawsuit filed by Sayyed against a number of Lebanese political and security officials. Sayyed's lawsuit accuses the officials of slander, depriving him of his freedom and falsifying witnesses in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Mirza's move "clearly shows his continued protection for false witnesses and their partners," Sayyed said in a statement released by his press office. "Besides, he (Mirza) committed serious violations of the law," added the statement. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 13:13

Army Arrests Killers of 70-Year-Old
Naharnet/A Lebanese army patrol arrested Tuesday two alleged killers of Saadallah Daher, a 70-year-old Lebanese shepherd, in the Bekaa Valley.
Daher, who hails from the Bekaa town of al-Qaa, was beaten to death on Friday by four men from al-Hjeiri clan over a domestic dispute.
State-run National News Agency identified the arrested men as Suheil Hjeiri, the key suspect in the crime, and his brother, Ahmed, an accomplice.
It said Daher was killed over grazing land eligibility. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 10:17

National Dialogue Adjourned Barely 2 Hours after it Convened
Naharnet/Lebanese political parties entered a new round of national talks Tuesday despite profound differences over the agenda for a defense strategy. The session, however, was adjourned barely two hours after it convened. Eighteen leaders attended the talks which kicked off at 11:19am at Baabda Palace under President Michel Suleiman. Cabinet Minister Mohammed Safadi was not able to attend due to travel. Two hours later, Suleiman adjourned national dialogue until April 15. An official statement is yet to be made, reporters at Baabda Palace said. Dialogue resumed amid two different approaches. While the majority March 14 alliance holds on to defense strategy as a single item for discussion, the Hizbullah-led opposition argues the possibility of raising additional issues on the agenda, including the "economic-water security." The major controversy, however, revolves around Hizboullah arms. While Hizbullah insists that the group's weapons are not up for discussion at the table, March 14 demand that Hizbullah arms be debated. Beirut, 09 Mar 10, 09:

The Saudi Foreign Minister Explains the New Middle East
http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/03/saudi-fm
By Barry Rubin*
March 9, 2010
http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/03/saudi-fm
Here's today's evidence that we are now living in Middle East 2.0 instead of the old version.
First, a definition:
Middle East 1.0: Characterized by Arab nationalist domination, competition among the strongerArab states to lead the region and by the weaker ones trying to survive those campaigns. Arab-Israeli conflict is a real enterprise. Roughly 1952-2000 or so. International aspect: Cold War competition between the United States and USSR and, near the end, US as sole superpower.
Middle East 2.0: Characterized by a battle between Arab nationalist regimes and revolutionary Islamists. An Iran-led bloc (Syria, Hamas, Hizballah, Iraqi insurgents) seeking regional hegemony. Israel and most Arab states have parallel interests; Arab states (except for Syria) put low priority on conflict. International aspect: Will the West support the moderates or appease the radicals.
The latest occasion is an interview of Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister with Maureen Dowd of the New York Times. Of course, there are the usual rhetorical flourishes about Israel but the passion and focus is clearly on Iran and various Islamist terrorists. ("There is nothing wrong with keeping the terrorists on the run," says the prince.)
This is the same man who told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that sanctions would be too slow in stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and the United States better do something quick. Here he says he prefers a resolution through the UN but it isn't clear what that means.
It's funny that in the West the region is being discussed, written about, and taught as if we were back in the 1970s. There is a particular obsession with the idea that everything is about the Arab-Israeli conflict. But if the Saudis talk like this publicly (you can imagine what they say privately) it's a sign of how changed everything is in Middle East 2.0's world.
Read this carefully. The prince says:
"There are no troops arrayed on the border of Israel waiting for the moment to say, 'Attack Israel. Nobody is going to fight them and threaten their peace. But they didn't accept that. So it makes one wonder, what does Israel want?"
Now you can take this as propaganda, and of course Israel does have a lot to worry about: Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hizballah, Arab countries being overthrown by Islamist warmongers, nuclear weapons, terrorism, and agreeing to a Palestinian state that then begins phase two of an effort to destroy Israel. It also needs agreement that any peace treaty permanently end the conflict, that Palestinian refugee be resettled in Palestine, that a Palestinian state is really going to block cross-border raids, and that foeign armies (notably those of Iran and Syria) aren't going to enter the West Bank.
Even Dowd, not known as being sympathetic to Israel, understand some of this and makes the remarkable statement: "If anyone deserves to be paranoid, of course, it's Israel. But Israel can't be paranoid because paranoia is the mistaken perception that people are out to get you."
But Faisal isn't just trying to score points. He is trying to get across the point that Saudi Arabia's government doesn't want a war with Israel and prefer the conflict to go away. It can't and won't make a formal peace but the Saudis certainly don't think the way they did decades ago.
And when Faisal talks about "no troops arrayed on the border....Nobody is going to fight them and threaten their peace," how does that look if one subtitutes Saudi Arabia for Israel? The Saudis and other Gulf Arab states (along with Lebanon and Iraq) are now on the front line and under threat more than Israel is right now. Faisal know it and so should we all.
*Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley). To read and subscribe to MERIA, GLORIA articles, or to order books, go to http://www.gloria-center.org.
The Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center
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Fear Of Muslim Collective Punishment Grips Christian Villagers in Upper Egypt
http://www.aina.org/news/20100308205359.htm
Assyrian International News Agency/March 9, 2010
(AINA) -- Fear has gripped the inhabitants of the upper Egyptian village of Sheikh Telada in Samalout, 250 kilometers south of Cairo, as they anticipate collective punishment against them by the village Muslims, in the wake of two sectarian incidents which took place in the village during February. They fear their fate would be similar to that of Farshout, Nag Hamadi and Bahgoura, where Muslims destroyed, burnt and looted Coptic homes and properties prompted by incidents provoked by Muslims against only one Copt.
State security forces have forced the Coptic villagers to remain indoors, and place a news blackout on the village. The presence of state security in the area is viewed with suspicion. Activist Mariam Ragy of the advocacy group Katibatibia sees in their presence "a way to keep Copts prisoners in their own homes and not for their own protection." Rafaat Samir of the Egyptian Union Human Rights Organization sees in it a slow death for the Coptic villagers. "Is the state security incapable of protecting the Copts so as to force them to remain indoors and abandon their work and schools?" asks Coptic activist Wagih Yacoub. "Is security so powerless every time the Copts are placed under siege by a mob imposing collective punishment on all village Copts?"
The first incident took place on February 2, 2010, when Coptic Zarif Elia and his wife were driving along the agricultural road, when they were followed by three men who stopped them and tried to rape his wife, after beating them both with batons. During the altercation, Zarif hit one of the perpetrators on the nose, and fled with his wife. A few hours later Zarif was accused of killing Basem Abul-Eid, one of the Muslim attackers.
Dr. Ihab Ramzy, Zarif's attorney, told activist Sherif Ramzy of Freecopts, that Abul-Eid's wounds were superficial and that he died of natural causes, which he assumes was caused by the excitement of the brawl and of chasing after Zarif and his wife. Zarif's wife was never interviewed by the police. In spite of the fact that Zarif was exercising his right of self defense, the dead Muslim's family believe that Zarif's family and the whole Coptic community should be held responsible for their relative's death.
Following this incident, Copt Ephraim Shehata from Telada gave an interview to Coptic activist Wagih Yacoub in which he warned of the seriousness of the situation in his village and appealed to human rights organizations to intervene to lift the siege of the villages Copts. The interview was aired on many Coptic sites and Paltalk rooms which are frequented by thousands of Egyptians, including the Egyptian state security monitors, who listen in to gauge Coptic sentiments on specific issues.
A few days later, on February 27, as Efraim Shehata and his wife Rasha Samir were on their way to work they were ambushed on a side lane by a man who ordered them to get off their motorbike. The man threw Ephraim on the ground and hit his leg with the baton to immobilize him, then started firing at the couple with a cartouche hand gun, according Rasha. She went on saying that she threw herself over her husband to protect him, when they saw 4 or 5 men coming towards them, whom they mistook for rescuers.
The attackers assaulted the couple before shooting. "They were aiming at Ephraim's head, but the bullet went to his neck instead, besides the bullets to his side and abdomen." said Rasha, who was also shot several times." Ephraim underwent several surgical operations, however, shrapnels from the bullet which went into his neck lodged in his spine causing paralysis on his right side. The police arrested all five perpetrators.
"While being assaulted Ephraim was told that this attack was in revenge for having published on the internet the case of the Copt Zarif Elia from Telada," said Mariam Ragy who interviewed Ephraim in hospital. Many observers see the hand of the state security in the attack on Ephraim, to penalize him for breaking the news blackout and as a warning to others.
On March 1 State Security arrested Habib Benjamin, one of Ephraim's relatives, for venting his anger by criticizing the behavior of Muslims after the incident. Coptic activists expect a repeat of the security scenario of detaining more Copts in order to force the victims to give up their rights to get their relatives released.
Wagih Yacoub is holding state security responsible for the present situation in Telada, especially because Ephraim had warned of the pending danger prior to being attacked. Yacoub sees evidence of systematic State persecution against the Copts. "Security agencies in all governorates are deliberately not protecting the Copts and in some cases even helping the extremists, by not penalizing them, and intervening only after they have finished burning and looting Coptic homes, as was the case recently in Farshout, Nag Hammadi and Bahgoura."
Reverend Stephanos Shehata, of Samalout Coptic Orthodox Diocese, told Katibatibia the situation of the Copts in Telada is quite dire, as they are frightened to leave their homes and are extremely distressed. Commenting on the arrests of the perpetrators he said that even if they are arrested, they will go free. "Any one of us is liable to get killed and the Muslims know they will be acquitted," he said.
"We are very disappointed. The problem is that we all know the perpetrators will be acquitted. We all know that state security will detain Copts -- then comes the bargaining between security and the victims, in which they are forced to relinquish their rights to get those detained out. The same story then starts all over again somewhere else."
By Mary Abdelmassih
Copyright (C) 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.

Obama's Iran Policy Collapses to the Accompaniment Of Mockery Around The Globe
By Joel J. Sprayregen
March 09, 2010 /American Thinker
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/obamas_iran_policy_collapses_t.html
Barack Obama, in his first press conference after his election, called Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons "unacceptable." He repetitively offered Iran "engagement." He set a deadline of year-end 2009 for Iranian compliance, now unilaterally extended another three months.
Iran contemptuously and repetitively responded that it had no intention of abandoning its nuclear program. Obama's Iran policy is collapsing to the accompaniment of open mockery around the globe. Obama assured us that his "engagement" would make it easier to enlist other countries to stop Iran. The result is the opposite: Virtually every country Obama approached has rebuffed him. Without a credible threat of force, it is now clear that "engagement" has no chance to stop Iran's military nuclear program. It is indisputable that Iranian possession of nuclear weapons would destabilize the Mideast and gravely threaten world peace.
Let's leave China and Russia to the end on the grounds that it may be more difficult to persuade major powers. In recent weeks, the Obama administration launched a curious charm offensive with the announced purpose of weaning Syria -- Tehran's closest ally -- from Iran. Syria has been ruled by the Alawites -- a despised Muslim minority considered heretical -- since the French colonialists elevated them to military leadership. The country has since 1970 been the Mafia-like fiefdom of the Assad family, which murdered more than 15,000 of its own rebellious citizens in Hama in 1982.
Syria has been on the State Department's list of terrorist countries since 1979. Syria routinely dispatched terrorists into Iraq to kill American soldiers. Syria dominates Lebanon, from which it extorts wealth through violent means, including arming the Iranian proxy terrorist forces of Hezb'allah. The U.N. authorized an interminable tribunal to investigate charges that Syria murdered Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's prime minister, in 2005. The U.S. withdrew its ambassador from Damascus in protest of the Hariri assassination. I have personal insight into this tragic killing and farcical investigation because Saad Hariri, Rafik's son, desperately asked me in Riyadh in 1998 to pass on his fears that the Syrians would kill his father to preserve their hegemony in Lebanon. What a difference twelve years makes! Saad Hariri is now Lebanon's prime minister. Seeing the weakness of U.S. policy, he now embraces Hezbollah and the Syrian forces who killed his father.
Appeasing Syria Provokes Mockery from Assad and Ahmadinejad
The current Obama approach to Syria includes dispatching six high-level State Department delegations, announcing that our ambassador will return to Damascus, rescinding banned shipment of aircraft parts, and deals worth several billion dollars. Secretary of State Clinton purred over this "slight opening" with Syria and expressed hope that it would lead Syria to curb support for Iran as well as Hezb'allah and Hamas.
Syrian President Bashir Assad, responding instantly following departure of the U. S. Under-Secretary of State from Damascus, invited the Iranian president to his capital. The Assad-Ahmadinjead press conference can be described most tactfully as a roast of the Obama administration. The two presidents announced removal of travel visas, meaning that Iranian terrorists are free to travel to the borders of Europe and Israel. Assad, not ordinarily known for humor, said of U.S. hopes of separating Syria from Iran that "[w]e must have understood Clinton wrong because of bad translation." The Iranian president reliably played straight man: "The Americans are forced to leave the region, leaving their reputation, image, and power behind in order to escape. The U.S. has no influence to stop expansion of Iran-Syria, Syria-Turkey, and Iran-Turkey ties. God willing, Iraq too will join this circle."
The failure of Obama's appeasement was understood in the region. Editor Michael Young asked in his Beirut Star,
"Just what does Barack Obama stand for?" His answer: "The Assad regime's abuse of its own population, Syrian involvement in myriad bombings in Iraq, support for Iraqi Baathists, and its permissiveness toward Al-Qaeda in Iraq have not made the Administration reconsider its Syrian opening. Violence works, and Obama has not proven otherwise. The Obama Administration these days provokes little confidence in its allies, and even less fear in its adversaries" [emphasis added].
Rebuffed by Lebanon, Brazil and Turkey
Syria is not a member of the U.N. Security Council. But Lebanon, Brazil, and Turkey are among the nine non-permanent members. Since Obama has unwisely delegated to the Security Council power to defend American interests, their votes are important. It is clear from what is written above that Lebanon, until recently a U.S. ally with its large but no longer dominant Christian minority, will now vote as directed by Syria and Iran.
Mrs. Clinton made a pitiful visit to Brasilia last week. It is not far-fetched to presume that Brazilian leadership contrasted the empty words of Obama with the deeds of their neighbor, President Chávez of Venezuela, who is assiduously expanding the western hemisphere bridgehead of his Iranian ally. A weekly flight from Tehran to Caracas carries unregistered passengers who can infiltrate our porous southern borders. The president of Brazil told Mrs. Clinton that his country would not "bow" to demands for sanctions against Iran. He suggested that it would be "prudent" to instead pursue negotiations. As in the Middle East, Obama "provokes little confidence" among our traditional good-neighbor allies.
Even more ruinous is the state of Obama's relations with Turkey, a country he has fulsomely praised as a Muslim democracy, notwithstanding the apparent drive of its present government to create an Islamist police state. Last week, Obama did nothing to prevent a symbolic 23-to-22 vote in a House of Representatives committee for a resolution labeling as "genocide" Turkish massacres of Armenians during World War I. I have lobbied on this issue and understand its intractability. Most historians call the events genocide, but a minority say it occurred during the fog of a war of reciprocal massacres in which Armenians aided invading Russians. The resolution is driven by understandable pressure of Armenian-Americans on California congressmen. But analysts of U.S. foreign policy understand that passing the resolution would so alienate Turkish voters that vital U.S. interests would be undermined -- e.g., supply of U.S. forces in Iraq, our air base at Incirlik, and the role of Turkish military (NATO's second-largest) in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Ankara Decries America's "Lack of Strategic Vision"
The Turks did not distinguish themselves by the bullying tone of their comments on the vote, and Obama may feel hamstrung by campaign promises he made -- which he cannot conceivably honor -- to recognize the "genocide." Turkey has resisted sanctions against Iran because Ahmadinejad was correct when he boasted in Beirut of blossoming Turkish-Iranian ties. But if Obama thought he might get any help from Turkey, whose government he courted by visiting its capital on his first overseas trip, his inaction on the genocide resolution provoked this blast from Ankara:
This decision, which could adversely affect our co-operation on a wide common agenda with the U.S., also regrettably attests to a lack of strategic vision [emphasis supplied].
Obama's difficulties in obtaining cooperation on sanctions from smaller countries underscore his better-known problems with veto-wielding Russia and China, whose interests are diverse from ours. These countries, in different ways, see themselves as rivals of the U.S. and have extensive commercial relations with Iran, by whom they do not feel threatened. Russia at times has indicated support for mild sanctions -- rather than the "biting" sanctions aimed at energy import/export (Iran is already rationing refined petroleum), insurance, and banking -- understood by many congressmen as the only method short of war to influence Iran.
There were reports at week's end that the administration would retreat to seeking diminished sanctions that exempt China and other permanent members of the Security Council from compliance. This would confirm the complete collapse of "engagement." One might call it "diss-engagement," warranting the mockery of Obama's policies echoing from Damascus, Beirut, Brasilia, and even Ankara.
**Joel Sprayregen is associated with think-tanks dealing with issues of security and human rights in Washington, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Ankara.
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